Ohotsk is famous for its horsehair crab after the drift ice melts. I visited with a plan that included horsehair crab, even though the timing was a bit off. I expected to get a crab weighing over 450g for an additional cost of about 5000 yen per person, but the crab I received was definitely on the smaller side. The taste was decent, but I was disappointed because I had hoped to eat a lot of crab. The other dishes were average, with the scallops being on the smaller side as well. Overall, it was a very disappointing meal.

On the first night of my solo trip, I had breakfast at a small buffet-style restaurant with a homemade feel. I ended up eating too much as usual, but the food was delicious. I tried to save room for lunch, but when I went to get dessert, I couldn't resist the scallop adductor muscles that were cooked and served. I ended up adding a little more rice as well, but it was worth it. The adductor muscles were all-you-can-eat, which was a unique experience given that they were sourced locally. Normally, I prefer them raw, but it's rare to find places that serve them that way, so I was grateful for the cooked option.

On the first day, I tried the special jumbo shrimp fry set at Restaurant Kai Shu, and it was excellent! For dinner on the second day, I had the two-cheese baked hamburger set, which was a great choice. While it wasn't absolutely amazing, it was definitely delicious enough for a place without any apparent food and drink establishments. I've already decided to revisit next year.

On the first day of summer vacation, I visited Rumoi City, then Kobetsu Town on the second day, and Asahikawa City on the third day, followed by Shibetsu City, Esashi Town, Okoppe Town, and Okoppe Town, all as day trips. On the third day, I ended up in Esashi Town and after being turned down by my first two restaurant choices, I finally found a place to eat. As a B'z fan, I was delighted by the name of the hotel, Hotel New Kourin, which reminded me of their song "Calling." I was torn between wanting to try ramen and the local specialties of Esashi Town, so I ended up ordering a lot of food and ended up feeling stuffed. The ramen noodles were unexpectedly from Suto Seimen in Asahikawa City. The scallop and salmon bowl had a distinct sweetness from the scallops. The sashimi set featured some very fatty yellowtail, which was in season and delicious. After trying all these dishes, I was completely full. #HotelNewKourin #Kaishu #HotelNewKourinKaishu #SoySauceRamen #ScallopandSalmonBowl #SashimiSet #SutoSeimen even here unexpectedly #Hotel #Established #Ramen #Foodie #Hokkaido #EsashiRamen #EsashiRamenClub #Asahikawa #EsashiGourmet #RamenLover #FoodieGirl #Foodie #Lunch #EsashiLunch

I usually stay in Hamatonbetsu, but I tried staying at this hotel for the first time this year because I don't like hot spring hotels that feel like training camps (Japanese-style room, woolen futon, old). I visit Hamatonbetsu 1-2 times a year, and this was my first time staying in Esashi. There are reviews for the restaurant Kaishu, but it's hard to find, so I'll evaluate the restaurant in this hotel. I also want to evaluate Kaishu restaurant. Even though there were only two of us, they prepared a private room for 6-8 people. The service over the phone and in person was very friendly. We ordered the seafood mix fry set meal, which was delicious and had a good volume for the price of 1,300 yen. I made sure there were no oysters, which I don't like, and ordered without hesitation, with shrimp, squid, scallops, and salmon. The next day, I was very satisfied with the two-cheese baked hamburger set meal. I was so hungry that I forgot to take photos. I'm sorry. I will definitely come back!

The course meal with hairy crab and breakfast buffet costs 15,000 yen, with natural hot springs. It's nice to relax in the hot springs once in a while. The dinner sashimi is a luxurious 6-piece assortment of scallops, salmon, tuna, button shrimp, amberjack, and octopus, along with a crab salad and flounder sashimi in yukhoe style. First, you take the meat from the hairy crab and put it all back in the shell. This way, you can enjoy it slowly with some drinks, and mixing it with crab miso at the end is exceptional. The hairy crabs from Esashi are very delicious. After finishing the crab, the staff will light up the sukiyaki for you. Of course, you'll have it with an egg. Then, you'll have grilled Esashi king crab, kasube stew, tempura (crab claws, salmon, scallops), and a mini seafood bowl. It's small but filling! There were also desserts. The breakfast isn't extensive, but the ingredients are good. The tamagoyaki is probably homemade, and the salmon isn't commercial grade. The homemade scallop ear stew is also recommended.

This is a lodging facility in Esashi. When making a reservation, I had the option of choosing either "dinner included" or "dinner and breakfast included", so I chose dinner only. On this day, it seems that the boiler for the large communal bath was broken, so I ended up soaking in a small jacuzzi instead. I didn't know such things could happen. There was a shop on the premises, and they had local products for sale. The most eye-catching item was the "scallop adductor muscles". It comes with a guarantee of deliciousness. You can enjoy it as it is or use it in cooking, making it a versatile ingredient. I personally enjoy savoring its tenderness slowly in my mouth as a snack! In addition, I purchased some delicacies from Wakkanai, Ohto Foods. Both the "dried flounder" and "dried cod" are excellent snacks! The "scallop adductor muscles" from Esashi is a must-try delicacy.

This is a restaurant located inside a hotel. If you're thinking of having lunch around here, this might be the most convenient place to go. The atmosphere is nice, the menu is varied, making it a safe choice to bring people along. The dishes are decent in taste, generous in portion, and offer good value for money. On this day, I had the Zangi set meal, which was satisfying, but other menu items also seem to have generous portions. The Chicken Katsu set meal, for example, was so big I wondered if I could finish it. Located along the national highway with a spacious parking lot, this restaurant is easy to visit in many ways.

This area is known as the "city of hairy crabs" ... so? If you're looking for hairy crabs, you can enjoy a large hairy crab at a reasonable price at this restaurant. Each person can choose their main dish set meal and I had one serving of hairy crab. It was super delicious! I would love to visit this restaurant again if I have the chance. Thank you for the meal!

I stayed at Hotel New Kourin and had a meal at the hotel restaurant. The menu was extensive, with a variety of dishes from single items to set meals. I enjoyed dishes such as draft beer, crab fried rice, fried egg, grilled fish, Caesar salad, sashimi platter, and 7 items in total. The food was satisfying and I had a pleasant stay.

"2020.7 [Day 2 of North Hokkaido Trip] This is the "Hotel New Sairin" in Esashi Onsen, which is the accommodation for this North Hokkaido trip. It's a hotel that I've always been curious about every time I pass by on National Route 238. National Route 238 connects Abashiri to Wakkanai, with a total length of over 300km. It's strange that I often drive from Hamatonbetsu to Omu, but rarely the other way around. The hot spring is a calcium-sodium-sulfate spring, with good quality water that feels just right and makes you want to stay in it forever. In the morning, there were only four bathers including myself, so we could use the spacious bath comfortably. However, the bath itself is small, so I'm a bit worried it might get crowded during day-trip hot spring hours. Shampoo and body soap are provided, but the shampoo doesn't lather well and leaves the hair feeling rough. Especially for women, it might be safer to bring your own shampoo. As for the breakfast buffet... there was no sense of Esashi in the lineup at all (laughs). The salmon slices, sausages, rolled omelette, kinpira burdock, onsen tamago, tarako, and simmered dishes were all lacking the Esashi touch. The salmon was ordinary, the rolled omelette was too sweet for my taste so I quickly added soy sauce. The kinpira burdock was on the strong side in flavor. The sausages had a mushy texture inside, making some men reminisce about the good old days when they weren't like this (^^; The tarako was very delicious, making you want to buy some as a souvenir. I'll just have seconds of the tarako♪ The simmered dish had a typical seasoning but was quite tasty. The onsen egg had a good sauce flavor, the rice was ordinary, and the miso soup, although typical in taste, was delicious. Overall, the seasoning wasn't bad, but I wished they could bring out more of the 'Esashi essence' in the dishes."

This is an image of breakfast only. During a trip to Hokkaido, I stayed at a hotel with a breakfast-only plan. You can enjoy natural hot springs. It seemed to be a place where locals often visit to relax. The breakfast buffet had long lines at times. There were no seafood or local specialties, just a slight upgrade from a business hotel breakfast. The taste of the nikujaga (meat and potato stew) was gentle and delicious. Since there are not many accommodation options in the area, I recommend staying at this hotel if you are nearby.

Wakkanai to Mombetsu in northern Okhotsk has few residents, making it difficult to find places to eat. While there are restaurants for tourists, they are clearly geared towards visitors. Many places also only operate during the daytime. In such a dining situation, one of the few valuable dining spots is New Kourin. Although New Kourin is a hotel, its dining area is open to the public. I have stayed at hotels in Utanobori and Hamatombetsu, but the food at this hotel was the most delicious. The menu for outsiders is typical of a regular diner, and on this day, I had the ginger pork set meal, which I highly recommend.

The dinner at the inn I stayed at in Hokkaido was delicious. All the dishes were unfamiliar to me, so it was a fresh experience to try them.

Last year and exactly the same content (with a little change is good), the hairy crab is delicious.

The dinner plan is quite luxurious, but the taste is average. It's a bit underwhelming without a discount.